Image translating apparatus



June 25, 1946. L, M. POTTS IMAGE 'IRANSLATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. '7, 1938 l9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y LOUIS M. POTTS ATTORNEY June 25, 1946. PQTTS 2,402,771

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ATTORNEY.

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IMAGE TRANSLATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan 7, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 12 v v INVENTOR LOUIS M. DQTTS ATTORN EY June 25, 1946. M, -rs 2,402,771

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ATTORNEY June 25, 1946. L. M. PoTTs 2,402,771

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IMAGE TRANSLATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 7, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet l9 LO M. DOTTS INVENTOE ATTORNEY Patented June 25, 1946 IMAGE TRANSLATING APPARATUS ,Lmlis M; Potts, Evanston, 111.; Martha W. C.

Potts executrix of said Louis M. Potts, de-

ceased Original application January 7, 1938, Serial No.

183,861, now Patent No. 2,313,088, dated March 9, 1943. Divided and this application March 4, 1943, Serial No. 477,933

30 Claims.

.1 The present invention relates to a system of meter reading and recording apparatus and particularly to mechanism for photoeleotrically scan ning reduced scale images of public service commodity meters in order to generate a system of electrical pulsations identified with the informationborne by the meter images.

The-present application is 'a division of the subject matter illustrated and described in copending application Serial No. 183,861, filed January '1, 1938, now Patent No. 2,313,088, issued March 9, 1943.

A principal object of. the present invention is I relates will be termed a scanning device and its essential purpose is to trace circular as wellas rectilinear meter integer designations, by passing aray of light along a prescribed path and by generating electrical impulse in accordance with the impingement. or penetration thereof upon a light sensitive medium such as a photoelectric cell. The electrical impulses thus generated are distributed according to a periodicity and location method of integer translation to be received by a series of primary storage elements as, for example, of the type claimed and disclosed in the above-referred to patent.

Since the information recorded and carried by the individual consumers metering devices may be of a character having a transitory position along a circular dial or of atype having an inert position in accordance with a coordinate or rectangular field, both types of scanning implements are here incorporated within a single and concurrently performing mechanism.

The circular field type of scanning is performed by passing a beam or light through a sequence of timed shutters disposed along the path of the circular field so that the projection of said beam upon the photoelectric apparatus will vary in accordance with the location of a characteristic light conductive or light blocking local area. The photoelectric cell is then made to operate a control circuit for energizing one of a series of storage elements whereat the information is momentarily stored pending the performance of certain corrective functions and prior to their final transposition into perforated record cards, as explained in the patent referred to. Translations 5b from a rectilinear field are made by the use of a scanning belt which correspondingly probes for the presence of a characteristic light conducting or light impeding area following which the translation may be made directly to the card perforating storage control elements depending upon the particular requirements and variations of the recorded information.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the present invention, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings and to the detailed specification following hereinafter wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout and wherein;

' Fig. l is a plan view of the scanner apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a sideelevational view of the scanner apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the scanner clutch release mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the scannin device, and is taken approximately on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fi 5 is a sectional view of the scanner taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 6 is a developed view illustrating approximately one-half of the scanning belt;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the rear end of the scanner, and is taken approximately on line 1-1 of Fig. l;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing the intermittent ieed mechanism for advancing the film;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 99 oi Fig. '7 showing the operating levers for part of the scanning apparatus;

Fig. 10 illustrates a single revolution clutch mechanism such as may be used with the scanner apparatus; V

Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of dial-scanning shutter mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary detail view showing the scanning belt associated with the scanning plate;

Figs. 13, 14, 15, and 16 illustrate the scanning shutters of one of the dials in several operated positions;

Fig. 17 is a detail view of the fixed plate of the scanner apparatus;

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the translator and storage unit partially in section on the line l8ll of Fig. 21; y

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary detail view featuring the escapement mechanism for the recording shafts; 

